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Navy scuttles traditional enlisted rating system

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From Stripes.com

Five finalists in the Navy Reserve Sailor of the Year competition attend an event in Washington, D.C., on April 27, 2006. The Navy announced Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016, that it is overhauling its centuries old rating system. U.S. Navy

Navy scuttles traditional enlisted rating system

by: Corey Dickstein | .

Stars and Stripes | .

published: September 30, 2016

WASHINGTON — The Navy has scrapped its two-century-old enlisted ratings system that identified sailors by their occupation and military rank in a plan to provide them greater career flexibility, the service announced Thursday.

Enlisted sailors will now be addressed only by their attained military rank, similar to how servicemembers in the other military branches are recognized. For example, a sailor previously addressed as yeoman second class, or YN2, will now simply be called petty officer second class, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Steven S. Giordano said.

Sailors in paygrades E-1 through E-3 will be addressed as seaman. Sailors in paygrades E-4 through E-6 will be called petty officer third class, second class and first class, respectively. Sailors in the senior enlisted paygrades of E-7 through E-9 will be addressed as chief, senior chief and master chief, respectively.

Giordano said Navy leaders understand the change “represents a significant cultural shift,” but he added it will also allow sailors to train and serve in more than one single job.

“This is about giving sailors more choice and flexibility and ultimately providing the Navy opportunities to get the right sailors with the right training and experience in the right billets,” he said.